- Address: Kigali
- Country: Rwanda
- Capacity: 22,000
- Opened:
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: APR (football), Rayon Sports (football)
Extra stadium info – Kigali Pelé Stadium
The Kigali Pelé Stadium is among the main sports venues in the Republic of Rwanda. It is named after Edson Arantes do Nascimento, commonly known as Pelé. The world famous Brazilian football legend Pelé died in 2022. He played professional football for Santos FC from Brazil and the New York Cosmos from the United States. Pelé also won world championship titles with the national football team of Brazil. In 1998, the Kigali Pelé Stadium was used for the public executions of 21 people convicted of involvement in the Rwandan genocide, including the former politician Froduald Karamira. The Rwandan genocide occured in 1994. During the genocide, Karamira gave daily speeches that were broadcast on a radio station. Rwanda abolished the death penalty in 2007.
APR and Rayon Sports
APR FC and Rayon Sports, the first sports clubs from Rwanda with 10,000 followers on their main social media page, both use the Kigali Pelé Stadium for home matches. Rayon Sports was founded in 1965 and APR was founded in 1993. In 1975, Rayon Sports were crowned football champions of Rwanda for the first time in their history. APR FC won the top-flight football league of Rwanda in 1995 for the first time in their history. In 2009, APR became the first football club from Rwanda with 10 domestic top-flight league titles.
Brandts
One year after APR FC won their 10th domestic top-flight league title, Ernstus Wilhelmus Johannes Brandts signed with the club to become the new manager. Ernstus Wilhelmus Johannes Brandts is also known as Ernie Brandts. He became the first person who signed with APR FC who played in a FIFA World Cup final. The former Dutch defender played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup final, which was won by the national football team of the Argentine Republic after beating the Netherlands 3-1. He won the UEFA Cup final with the Dutch side PSV from Eindhoven a few weeks before he lost the FIFA World Cup final. In 2012, Brandts signed with the Young Africans from Tanzania after he won his second top-flight league title with APR FC.
